Mahabharata · 1.165.33–34
॥
Devanāgarī
कशाग्रदण्डाभिहता काल्यमाना ततस् ततः ॥
क्रोधदीप्तेक्षणा क्रोधं भूय एव समादधे ॥
आदित्य इव मध्याह्ने क्रोधदीप्तवपुर् बभौ ॥
अङ्गारवर्षं मुञ्चन्ती मुहुर् वालधितो महत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kaśāgradaṇḍābhihatā kālyamānā tatas tataḥ ||
krodhadīptekṣaṇā krodhaṃ bhūya eva samādadhe ||
āditya iva madhyāhne krodhadīptavapur babhau ||
aṅgāravarṣaṃ muñcantī muhur vāladhito mahat ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कशाग्रदण्डाभिहता काल्यमाना ततः ततःkaśāgradaṇḍābhihatā kālyamānā tataḥ tataḥstruck by the ends of whips and staffs, driven this way and that,
क्रोधदीप्तेक्षणा क्रोधं भूयः एव समादधेkrodhadīptekṣaṇā krodhaṃ bhūyaḥ eva samādadhewith eyes blazing with rage, she kindled her wrath yet further;
आदित्यः इव मध्याह्ने क्रोधदीप्तवपुः बभौādityaḥ iva madhyāhne krodhadīptavapuḥ babhaulike the sun at midday, with a body blazing with rage, she blazed forth,
अङ्गारवर्षं मुञ्चन्ती मुहुः वालधितः महत्aṅgāravarṣaṃ muñcantī muhuḥ vāladhitaḥ mahatpouring out from her tail again and again a great rain of embers;
ततस्tatasoriginal form "tatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भूयbhūyaoriginal form "bhūya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आदित्यādityaoriginal form "āditya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्रोधदीप्तवपुर्krodhadīptavapuroriginal form "krodhadīptavapur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मुहुर्muhuroriginal form "muhur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वालधितोvāladhitooriginal form "vāladhito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Struck by the ends of whips and staffs, driven this way and that, the cow with eyes blazing with rage kindled her wrath yet further; like the sun at midday, with a body blazing with rage, she blazed forth, pouring out from her tail again and again a great rain of embers."
Version
a64af74b4b9e · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here meekness, driven to its limit, turns into a terrible force. Telling is it that the long-suffering cow, tormented beyond measure, at last catches fire: there is a limit beyond which even meekness reveals its might in answer to wrong. Here is a lesson that patience is holy, but wrongdoing that oversteps every measure draws down an inescapable reckoning. Thus scripture shows that unrighteousness that knows no restraint kindles its own fire; and blows dealt without mercy turn into a rain of embers upon the heads of the tormentors.